Crisp eaters looking to reduce fat
If you want crisps late at night, compare fat per 100g across products and check the figures for the pack you expect to eat.
Who is comparing these snacks?
Shoppers checking salt
A reduced-fat claim and a lightly salted flavour name answer different questions. Read the salt line for the exact product and serving.
Shoppers with ingredient requirements
If allergens or vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free labelling affect your choice, check the particular flavour rather than relying on the brand or the fact that it is potato-based.
What should you check before choosing?
Decide whether you specifically want crisps, then compare like-for-like nutrition figures and the amount you would eat.
Reduced-fat baked crisps
Consider when: You want potato crisps and reducing fat matters more than keeping the usual fried-crisp format.
Keep in mind: A reduced-fat claim does not settle the salt, energy or allergen checks.
Standard potato crisps
Consider when: A particular flavour or ingredient list matters more to you than a reduced-fat claim.
Keep in mind: A lightly salted name does not tell you how much fat the crisps contain.
A non-crisp snack
Consider when: You want something to snack on but are not set on potato crisps.
Keep in mind: Alternatives have different ingredients and serving sizes, so check the option you actually choose.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat | Compare fat per 100g before comparing pack sizes. Walkers lists 13g for Oven Baked Sea Salt; Tyrrells lists 29.3g for Lightly Sea Salted and KETTLE Chips lists 29.5g for Lightly Salted. | I still want potato crisps, but reducing fat is the reason I am considering a baked variety. |
| Salt and energy | Read both figures per 100g and for the serving. Walkers lists 0.85g salt and 438 kcal per 100g for Oven Baked Sea Salt, or 0.19g salt and 96 kcal per 22g pack. | A lower-fat label is not enough for me; I also want to know what is in the amount I would eat. |
| Serving size | Check whether the nutrition figures describe an inner bag, a stated serving or a sharing pack. Note the weight of the portion you would take from a larger bag. | For a quick late-night snack, an individual bag might suit me; with a sharing bag, I would decide on a portion separately. |
| Ingredients | Read the exact flavour’s ingredients, allergen warnings and any dietary labelling. Do not carry a claim from one flavour over to another. | I need the particular pack to fit my ingredient or dietary requirements, regardless of its fat or salt claim. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Letting “reduced fat” decide everything
Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt lists 0.85g salt and 438 kcal per 100g alongside its comparative fat claim. Fat alone does not describe the whole nutrition panel.
Compare fat, salt and energy on the same per-100g basis, then look at the figures for the amount you plan to eat.
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Reading “lightly salted” as “reduced fat”
Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted lists 29.3g fat per 100g and KETTLE Lightly Salted lists 29.5g; Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt lists 13g per 100g. These are figures for those specific products, not every flavour in each range.
Use the fat line, rather than the flavour name, when reducing fat is your priority.
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Confusing a sharing pack with a serving
The nutrition listed for one small bag will not describe the whole of a larger, multi-serving pack.
Check the weight of an inner bag or measure out the amount you intend to eat from a sharing pack.
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Assuming all potato crisps meet the same dietary needs
Walkers lists may-contain warnings for Oven Baked Sea Salt, while KETTLE labels its Lightly Salted product vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free. Those statements apply to the named products.
Check the current label for the exact flavour, including its allergen declaration.
Which brands offer useful comparisons?
These named products provide different label details to compare; the figures and dietary statements below do not apply to every product from each brand.
Walkers
The Oven Baked Sea Salt product carries Walkers’ “50% less fat than regular potato crisps” claim.
- Walkers lists 2.8g fat, 0.19g salt and 96 kcal per 22g pack, as well as per-100g figures.
- Its may-contain warnings include milk, wheat, gluten, barley, soya, celery and mustard; check the exact flavour.
Tyrrells
Lightly Sea Salted is a hand-cooked potato crisp made with potatoes, sunflower oil and sea salt, according to Tyrrells.
- Its published panel lists 29.3g fat and 0.65g salt per 100g.
- Tyrrells lists several pack sizes, so check the serving as well as the per-100g panel.
KETTLE Chips
KETTLE labels its Lightly Salted product suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- The published ingredients include potatoes, vegetable oils and sea salt; its panel lists 29.5g fat per 100g.
- “Lightly Salted” does not mean reduced fat. Check the pack format and exact product label before choosing.
Seabrook
Seabrook Sea Salted is a crinkle-cut crisp labelled gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- Seabrook lists 30.4g fat and 1.3g salt per 100g; its 31.8g bag lists 9.7g fat and 0.4g salt.
- Use its figures as a comparison for this standard crisp, not as a reduced-fat claim.
Pipers
Pipers describes a range of potato crisps with distinct flavourings.
- If a Pipers flavour appeals to you, its pack label gives you the details to compare with other crisps.
- Check that flavour’s nutrition and ingredients rather than assuming it meets a reduced-fat requirement.
Joybuy snack options
These options include small packs of baked or popped snacks and conventional potato-based snacks. Compare the exact flavour and pack label if reducing fat is your main reason for buying.
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PopChips Sour Cream & Onion 5 x 17g
The 17g bags provide an individual pack size for a late-night snack. Check the flavour’s fat, salt, ingredients and allergen declaration on the pack before choosing it for a reduced-fat or dietary requirement.
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Walkers Oven Baked Variety Pack 6 x 22g
Individual 22g bags may suit someone choosing one pack at a time. As this is a variety pack, compare the nutrition, ingredients and allergen information for each included flavour rather than applying the Sea Salt product’s figures to them all.
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Walkers Oven Baked Cheese & Onion Crisps Flavour 6 x 22g
This pack offers 22g bags if you want a single-flavour baked crisp. Check this Cheese & Onion flavour’s own fat, salt and allergen information; figures for Oven Baked Sea Salt should not be assumed to match.
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Walkers 45% Less Salt Mild Cheese & Onion 6 x 25g
The named claim concerns salt, not fat. Compare this product’s fat figure with any baked option you are considering, and use its 25g bag size when checking the amount per pack.
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Pringles Original 12 x 40g
Each pack is 40g. If you are comparing it with a reduced-fat crisp, check both products’ fat per 100g and the figures for their different pack sizes rather than treating the packs as equal servings.
Questions about reduced-fat crisps
Does “50% less fat” describe the whole nutrition panel?
No. Walkers’ claim for Oven Baked Sea Salt compares fat with regular potato crisps; the product also lists 0.85g salt and 438 kcal per 100g. Check those figures and the amount in the pack alongside the fat figure.
Are lightly salted crisps reduced-fat crisps?
Not on the strength of the flavour name. Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted lists 29.3g fat per 100g and KETTLE Lightly Salted lists 29.5g, while Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt lists 13g. Read the fat figure for the exact products you are comparing.
Does a reduced-fat claim determine a crisp’s nutrient-profile classification?
No. The Department of Health and Social Care’s nutrient profiling model assesses several nutrients and food components, including energy, saturated fat, free sugars and salt. A comparative fat claim alone does not establish a particular product’s classification.
Should I compare a single bag or the per-100g figures?
Use both for different purposes: per-100g figures let you compare products on the same weight basis, while per-pack figures describe an individual bag. For a sharing pack, check the stated serving and the amount you would actually take.
What if I want a late-night snack but not necessarily crisps?
You can compare a non-crisp option instead. NHS snack guidance gives examples including plain popcorn and plain rice cakes; check the ingredients and serving information for whichever product you choose rather than assuming every alternative has the same nutrition.